BAE Systems to develop seeker for multiple kill vehicle for missile defence

Global defense and aerospace company, BAE Systems will develop and test a key component of the US Missile Defense Agency’s "multiple kill vehicle" payload system.

BEA Systems will produce, test, and integrate the system’s carrier vehicle seeker for the captive carry test bed under a two-year, $6.3 million contract from Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co.

In the event of an enemy missile launch, an interceptor equipped with this payload will track down the target using data uplinked to the BAE Systems seeker aboard the carrier vehicle.

Once outside the earth’s atmosphere, the seeker will acquire and track all threat objects, including the missile and any countermeasures deployed to disrupt US defenses. The carrier vehicle will then dispense a large number of small "kill vehicles", guiding them to destroy the targets designated by the seeker.

"This is a new midcourse interceptor capability for the Missile Defense Agency that lowers the cost per kill and increases the probability of engagement success," said Kevin Ezzo, BAE Systems Ballistic Missile Defense program director.

"Success in this key technology demonstration will keep the Multiple Kill Vehicle program on the path of delivering earliest operational capability to the warfighter," said Rick Reginato, Lockheed Martin programme director in Sunnyvale, California.

BAE Systems has built capabilities to deliver a full range of products and services for air, land, and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, information technology solutions. Its 2006 sales exceeded $25 billion.